Trousers stretching and pressing device.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

0. A. BEAL. TROUSERS STRETGHING AND PRESSING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 887,751. I PATBNTED MAY 19, 1908. G. A. BEAL.

TROUSERS STRETGHING AND PRBSSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1906.

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CHARLES A. BEAL, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROUSERS STRETCHIN G AND PRESSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed May 12, 1906. Serial No. 316,494.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BEAL, of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trousers Stretching and Pressing Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a trousers stretching and pressing device, and has for its object to improve the construction of the device to the end that the front and back portions of the trousers, from end to end thereof or thereabout, at opposite sides of the side seams, may be engaged, stretched, pressed and creased, special provision being made for not engaging the side seams of the trousers.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a trousers stretching and pressing device embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is an edge View of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the device shown in Fig. 1 taken on the dotted lines 33. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the device shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 44. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the device, the upper pressboards being removed. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper press-boards. Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the detachable clamping members. Fig. 8 is an end View of the lower end clamps.

The trousers to be stretched and pressed are folded in the usual manner and laid upon a pair of thin, flat press-boards a a, of suitable length and width, which are arranged approximately in parallelism, and separated a short distance, so as to provide between them a space of suitable width to receive the side seams. The press-boards are rigidly secured together by several cross-bars, four being herein shown, arranged two at or near each end, as (1 a a a The press-boards are laid upon the cross-bars so that the seam-receiving space between the press-boards continues across them. The cross-bars a a and a are made long enough to project a short distance beyond the pressboards at each side thereof. The pressboards and cross-bars are preferably, although not necessarily, made of wood. At each end of the press-boards a clamping device is provided, one for engaging the trousers at or near the waist, that is to say, above the tops of the legs, and the other for engaging the bottoms of the legs of the trousers.

press-boards.

cross-bar b is adapted to be adjustably secured at its ends to the projecting ends of said cross-bar (L to thereby clamp the trousers on the press-boards. The cross-bar t is detachable, and to this end it is slotted at each end as at If, to receive the shanks of bolts 12 which extend up through the crossbar a and when placed in position thereon, winged nuts I) are turned on the projecting ends of said bolts. The folded trousers are laid flat upon the press-boards and then the cross-bar b is placed thereupon in engagement with the bolts b and the nuts 6 turned down to thereby clamp the trousers to the The end clamp thus provided and which is herein referred to as the upper end clamp is adjustable merely for the purpose of clamping and releasing the upper end of. the trousers.

At the opposite end of the press-boards an end clamp is provided, which is adjustable to engage and release the bottoms of the legs of the trousers and means are provided for also adjusting it toward and from the pressboards to thereby stretch the trousers. This end clamp is herein referred to as the lower end clamp. The lower end clamp consists of two cross-bars c, 0, arranged one above the other and separated by blocks 0 0 which are secured to the cross-bar 0 near each end. The space between said blocks 6 is of suitable width to receive the side seams of the trousers and is arranged in continuation of the seam-receiving space between the pressboards. The cross-bar c is detachably connected with the cross-bar c, it being provided near each end with a slot, like b adapted to receive bolts 0 rising from the cross-bar c and to be secured in position thereon by nuts 0 which are turned down on said bolts. The bottoms of the legs of the trousers are laid flat upon the blocks 0 0 on a hole in the cross-bar c and through a hole in the cross-bar a and through a hole in the cross-bar a, and in a socket or opening in said cross-bar a a nut d is placed through which the threaded portion of said screw 01 passes, and the shank of said screw d is connected with the cross-bar c in such manner as to rotate freely but not to move longitudinally with respect thereto, and as a simple manner of thus connecting the shank of the screw with said cross-bar c a in d is driven into a hole formed diametrically through the shank of the screw, and upon each side of said pin a washer d is placed, and said pin and washers are contained in an opening (1 in the cross-bar c One or more guide rods are provided for said lower end clamp, two being herein shown, which are represented at f, f, and which extend from said end clamp through holes in the cross-bars a and a, said rods guiding the movements of the lower end clamp in a direction toward and from the press-boards. It will be observed that the two end clamps thus provided for the trousers each have an intermediate seam-receiving recess, and hence engage the front and back portions only of the trousers at opposite sides of the side seams, but these portions of the trousers are the particular portions which it is desired to engage and stretch, it not being necessary or desirable to stretch the seams. Furthermore the front and back portions thus may be laid flat and creased by the end clamps thus constructed. The trousers, when laid flat upon the press-boards, may be stretched by turning the screw d and all the wrinkles may be drawn out, and while laid flat on the press-boards may be closely inspected.

While the trousers are thus laid flat upon the press-boards and stretched, another pair of press-boards g, g are applied to the front and back portions thereof, at opposite sides of the side seams for the purpose of pressing and creasing them. The press-boards g, g, are made similar to the press-boards a, a, and approach them in parallel planes. And said press-boards g, g, are arranged with a seam-receiving space between them like the press-boards a, a. The press-boards g, g have rigidly secured to them cross-bars g 9 which are made long enough to project a short distance at each side of the pressboards, and said cross-bars are arranged upon the outside of said pressboards so that the seam-receiving space between the pressboards is continued across them. The cross-bars g g are designed to occupy positions over the cross-bars a and a The cross-bar g is rovided at each end with a slot, like V, which receive the shanks of bolts g" projecting upward from the ends of the cross-bar of, ant the upper ends of said pressboards g, g, are pressed firmly down upon the press-boards a, a, by nuts turning on the threaded ends of said bolts. The cross-bar g is likewise provided at each end with a slot which receive the shanks of bolts g" projecting upward from the ends of the cross-bar a and the lower ends of said press-boards g, are pressed firmly down upon the pressboards a, a, by nuts g turning on the threaded ends of said bolts 9 Thus the pressboards g, ganay approach the press-boards a, a, and apply a severe pressure to the front and. back portions of the trousers which are placed between the two pairs of press-boards. The lower ends of the press-boards g, g are or may be cut away or recessed at opposite sides, as at to enable said press-boards to be moved longitudinally a short distance relative to the press-boards a, a, to escape the bolts and thereby provide for more easily detaching or removing said pressboards g, g.

The bolt (1 is provided at its outer end with an eye cl which serves as a very convenient means for hanging up the device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- i

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of press-boards spaced apart to provide a seam-receiving opening between their inner edges, clamps at the ends thereof having seam-receiving spaces, one of said clamps being longitudin ally movable in respect to the other, and another pair of press-boards spaced apart to provide a seam-receiving opening between their inner edges and adapted to ap roach the aforesaid press-boards in paralle planes and being longitudinally movable in respect thereto, and means for clamping them in position to a ply pressure to the material which is laced between the press-boards, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of two pairs of press-boards, adapted to approach each other in parallel planes, each pair of press-boards having their inner edges spaced apart to form seamreceiving openings, a clamp at one end thereof with a seam-receiving space, a clamp at the opposite end comprising a pair of cross-bars having a seam-receiving space, blocks interposed between said cross-bars, means for moving said clamp with respect to the pressboards comprising a cross-bar having a screw rod and guides for adjusting said clamp, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of rigidly connected press-boards disposed in the same plane and separated to provide a narrow space between them from end to end, a clamp secured thereto at one end, another clamp located at the opposite end, means for connecting it with the press-boards and for adjusting it longitudinally with respect thereto, and

. boards in parallel planes, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of rigidly connected press-boards disposed in the same plane and separated to provide a narrow space between them from end to end, a pair of adjustably connected cross-bars one of which is attached to the under faces of said boards at one end thereof, another pair of adj ustably connected cross-bars located at the opposite ends of said press-boards, means for connecting them with the press-boards and for adjusting them longitudinally with respect thereto, and means for guiding them and for holding them in a plane corresponding with the plane of the press-boards in all their adjusted positions, each of said pairs of cross-bars having a transverse seam-receiving space in alinement with the narrow space between the pressboards, another pair of rigidly connected press-boards disposed in the same plane and separated to provide a narrow space between them from end to end, and means for connecting them with and for moving them toward the aforesaid press-boards in parallel planes, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of under pressboards separated to provide a seam-receiving space between them from end to end, a clamp secured to one end of said pressboards, another clamp adjustably connected to the opposite end of said press-boards, a pair of cross-bars attached to the under faces of said press-boards which extend beyond the sides thereof, a pair of upper pressboards separated to provide a seam-receiv ing space between them from end to end, a pair of cross-bars attached to the upper faces of said press-boards which extend beyond the sides thereof, and means for adjustably connecting the cross-bars on the upper pressboards with the cross-bars on the under press-boards, whereby the two pairs of pressboards are caused to approach each other in parallel planes, substantially as' described.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pair of press-boards separated to provide a seam-receiving space between them from end to end, a pair of adjustably connected cross-bars, one of which is attached to the under faces of said boards at one end thereof, another pair of adjustably connected cross-bars located at the opposite ends of said press-boards, means for connecting them with the press-boards and for adjusting them longitudinally with respect thereto, and means for guiding them and for holding them in a plane corresponding with the plane of the press-boards in all their adjusted positions, a pair of cross-bars also attached to the under faces of said pressboards which extend beyond the sides thereof, a pair of upper press-boards separated to provide a seam-receiving space between them from end to end, a pair of cross-bars attached to the upper faces of said pressboards which extend beyond the sides thereof, and means for adjustably connecting said cross-bars with the cross-bars on the under press-boards, whereby the two pairs of pressboards are caused to approach each other in parallel planes, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of rigidly connected under press-boards disposed in the same plane and separatedto provide a narrow space between them from end to end, a clamp secured thereto at one end, another clamp located at the opposite end, means for connecting it with the'press-boards and for adjusting it longitudinally with respect thereto, said clamps each having a transverse seam-receiving space in alinement with the narrow space between said pressboards a pair of upper press-boards disposed in the same plane and separated to provide a narrow space between them, adjustable means for connecting said press-boards with and for moving them towards said under press-boards in parallel planes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. J. NorEs, H. B. DAVIS. 

